Latest on UK WWW links copyright infringement case

[Sam Hinton]

Hi Linkers,

Sorry to jump in to the discussion so late, but I think Ron's main point
may be that if information from web site A is represented on another web
site B as having originated from that web site B (ie: willfully not
acknowledging site A's ownership of the information), then there is indeed
a major problem.

If I stamp my header and footer at the top and bottom of any information
received from a remote URL and present it as mine (and this would be VERY
easy to do via CGI or Java) then this is the same as taking someone's short
story, scanning it and placing it online AND claiming that I had written
it.  In other words, it is a clear breach of copyright unless I had
permission from the holder of the copyright

However, if I am only supplying a link to another resource, and even a
description or review of that resource, then I am no more breaching
copyright than an academic who references other works in a bibliography or
a movie reviewer who describes the plot of a movie.  In this case, I am
actually advertising the remote site - something which the site's author
should be pleased about, and may even pay me to do!!

RTA,
Sam.




_________________________________________________________________________
Sam Hinton                                 Ph:     +61 6 279 8479
ITS Publications Officer & Webmaster       Fax:    +61 6 279 8120
CNIP, The Australian National University   Email:  Sam.Hinton@anu.edu.au